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Jul 29, 2019 · The researchers also found genes coding for proteins used in haemostasis, a blood-clotting process that allows the lizards to survive bites from other Komodo dragons, whose saliva contains blood-thinning chemicals, researchers report today in Nature Ecology & Evolution. Scientists hope their new map of the Komodo dragon genome will not only ...
- The Making of A Myth
- The Venom Debate
- What’s Really Eating Water Buffalo?
- Video: Komodo Dragon Envenoms Buffalo
To be fair, the idea that Komodo dragons wield murderously filthy chompers isn’t something rooted in an urban legend—up until relatively recently, it was the only explanation really championed by scientists. The hypothesis got its start in the 70s and 80s, around the time herpetologist Walter Auffenbergspent an entire year living on the island of K...
The bacterial bite idea persisted for decades, and was bolstered by research that identified bacteria in Komodo dragon mouths thought to be “potentially pathogenic.” But in 2013, University of Queensland researcher Bryan Fry and his colleagues put the idea to rest. Fry and his team analyzed bacterial samples from dragon mouths and failed to find an...
But even this explanation isn’t behind the septic buffalos meeting their maker. For this phenomenon, bacteria certainly plays a central role, just not in the way scientists originally thought. Komodo dragons didn’t actually evolve to hunt and eat water buffalo, and neither species is really purely an island native. Dragons themselves are now consid...
Plenty of research remains to be done on the putative venom of Komodo dragons, because at this point, it’s still not entirely clear what the discovered compounds even do, or how the venom would work. That said, one thing is quite clear, while the dragon’s mouth is a nasty, potent predatory instrument, it’s not a dirty one.
- Jake Buehler
Aug 26, 2019 · Komodo dragons are both the heaviest and largest lizards on Earth. The carnivorous reptiles can weigh more than 220 pounds and reach nearly 10 feet from head to tail. They dominate the food chain on the small island of Komodo and a few neighboring islands. Their venomous bite can weaken and kill large prey like buffalo.
- Joshua Rapp Learn
May 6, 2022 · The king cobra’s scientific name is Ophiophagus hannah, while the komodo dragon’s scientific name is Varanus komodoensis. Types of reptiles: Though they are both reptiles, komodo dragons are lizards while king cobras are snakes. This leads to a number of obvious physical differences, such as the fact that komodo dragons have legs while king ...
Which bite is more potent is fairly clear: A Komodo bite will kill an animal within several days, while an animal bitten by a cobra only lives for a few minutes [source: National Geographic]. But a Komodo dragon's mouth is still undeniably fatal. Komodo dragons, like cobras, are immune to their own poison.
- Julia Layton
- A Komodo dragon will attack and devour a human being unprovoked.
- The largest Komodo dragon on record was more than 10 feet (3 meters) long and weighed 366 pounds (166 kilograms).
- Indonesia's Rinca Island is one of the last remaining homes to wild Komodo dragons.
- Komodo dragons have nearly 60 teeth that are serrated like a shark's and about 0.4 inches (1 centimeter) long.
- It is not legal to have a Komodo dragon as a pet in any state. Their bite can be deadly and they often attack unprovoked.
Jan 24, 2013 · Here are some of the most infamous attacks, as described by Mr. Safina and corroborated by media reports: A Tragic Playdate. In 2007, a dragon killed an 8-year-old boy on Komodo Island, marking ...
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Apr 3, 2023 · Found throughout warm regions of Africa, Asia and Australia, monitor lizards are a family of lizards known for their long necks, sharp claws and powerful limbs. Komodo dragons are the largest member of the monitor family. Just how big are Komodo dragons? Adult Komodo dragons are among the largest, heaviest lizards on Earth.
